"Against Us (Remix)" is a remix song by American rapper Dee-1, featuring guest vocals from fellow American rappers Lupe Fiasco and Big K.R.I.T. The official music video was uploaded to YouTube on May 3, 2016, and filmed in New Orleans by Karltin Bankz, Marquis Daisy, Gee-Lock, Famous Phil, and Fatima Aarabi, with editing done by Colin Pierce. The visual also premiered exclusively to WORLDSTARHIPHOP's official YouTube channel on May 5, 2016.[1]
In an interview with Billboard, Dee-1 told them, "Lupe is a legend, K.R.I.T. is a superstar and I'm the new guy making noise. Time to put some 'respek' on my name"[2] and said in another press statement, "I only collab with people I'm friends with, the rest of that stuff is fake if there's no real relationship with the artists. I'm thankful my homies Krit and Lupe could come together with me for this one. Compared to what's out right now, this is hard. I hope everyone loves it like I do."[3] It was included on his mixtape, Slingshot David (2016), and later on the album Finding Balance (2022).[4]
Background[]
In an interview with STASHED, Dee-1 revealed, "When I asked Lupe Fiasco to hop on my song, he was totally cool with it. I'm in the studio with him and as he's recording he's freestyling, he's not writing. He's doing his thing in the booth. He knows that I don't curse and that I don't have profanity in my music. On the last bar, he said 'My kind and they logic is like 99 of their problems with no B–.' He said that and came out of the booth." He continued, "I've struggled in the past with existing in this industry. I wanted to be different. I feel it in my heart to be different. I'm still of this, but I want to show that I can come from this and be different. It's a struggle sometimes when you collaborate with people who might not adhere to what my vision is or they curse in their music so they're just like whatever. So I've had trouble speaking up in the past about that because I don't want to tarnish my relationships with people. I actually tried to speak up about certain collabs that I was on the verge of doing and it's always led to tension or friction with the artist and me. With Lupe, I'm like 'Oh boy, here we go [laughs]. Do I speak up and create this awkward moment in the studio or do I let it ride?' I decided to speak up and we had a little conversation about it and he was cool with removing it. That Instagram post came from real live footage of us kicking it, of us seeing each other after a few months. We talked about the collaboration. He was telling someone else at the time, 'He don't know it, but I cursed on his record on purpose just to see what he would do.' I think he was testing me to see how strong are my convictions, and what I believe in, even when it's not convenient. Even when it's not the convenient thing for me to speak up, and speak what's on my heart, and about what my true mission is, will I do it? And I did it with one of the most difficult people to do it with. He's a man I look up to in a lot of ways."[5]
Regarding some backlash he faced for collaborating with someone of a different religion, Dee-1 replied, "What you mean, 'I'm not Christian enough?' Because I'm collaborating with a Muslim on a track? You should look at it as, 'He's got him on a track where he's saying, 'Our Father Who Art in Heaven.'"[6]
Music video[]
| Music Video | Information | |
|---|---|---|
| Cinematographer | Karltin Bankz, Marquis Daisy, Gee-Lock, Famous Phil, and Fatima Aarabi | |
| Editor | Colin Pierce | |
| Length | 4:17 | |
Lyrics[]
[Intro]
Hello, this is the music of Dee-1
Who just so happens to be my grandson
Along with Lupe Fiasco and Big K.R.I.T., let's go
[Verse 1: Dee-1]
They say I keep it too real
Oh well, I ain't got no chill
I ain't in this game to prostitute my soul for dollar bills
In the streets is going down, Titanic
God got me though, why panic?
Who cares if you die rich if you ain't dynamic
Black versus white, black versus Black
Rich versus poor, heroin versus crack
Pistol versus knife, fear versus faith
Satan versus God, love versus hate!
Got hustlin' in my genes
I fell asleep bumpin' Chris Wallace, I got big dreams
Man what it do? got Lupe, got K.R.I.T., everybody know we trill
What you rappin' about, killing folks?
You don't see the times we in? You ain't real
And yeah I'm Christian, but Muslims, Hindus
And every religion all know one thing that boy spittin'
Huh, real rap though
I battle demons everyday like where they at though
I'm Dee-1, top five is where I normally rank up
You got money in the bank but you morally bankrupt, boy
[Hook: Dee-1]
Our father, who art in heaven
Hallowed be thy name
Thy kingdom come
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive those who trespass against us
What you tell 'em now?
Against us, against us
Man tryna go
Against us, against us
They don't wanna know
Against us, against us
They don't wanna know
Against us, against us
Who's against us?
[Verse 2: Big K.R.I.T.]
Lord
Forgive us for our flexin' and our selfish ways
And overlook the days that we ain't pray after gettin' paid
A product of our environment
They gave us crack, we sold it back
For golden rims and Gucci
Told us how to whip and move it
And like junkies just ain't human
Somebody mama, somebody father that was on they way to AA
'Til they heard us holler ba-ase for the cheap
The value of black life has decreased
Police killin' us for a bonus and paid vacay to the beach
The Devil been busy I'm tellin' you
Beware what they sellin' you
Put God first and let 'em work when everything gets failin' you
We been in the club way too long my brother
Please don't teach 'em more than rappin', slug peeling
And drug dealin' but how to love each other
Raise the struggle, build from rubble
And do more than just tweet
Mad about it, emoji sad, Instagram, hashtag about it
I don't mean to nag about it
But we got to fight the evil, raise the flag about it
I'm sayin'
[Hook: Dee-1]
Our father, who art in heaven
Hallowed be thy name
Thy kingdom come
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive those who trespass against us
What you tell 'em now?
Against us, against us
Man tryna go
Against us, against us
They don't wanna know
Against us, against us
They don't wanna know
Against us, against us
Who's against us?
[Verse 3: Lupe Fiasco]
DROGAS
Operation opposition
I can't stand my conditions
That complicated competition
In that ghetto started operation pot to piss in
At 17 had a set of wings
Now I'm sellin' dreams like I'm sellin' lean
I be sellin' dreams like I'm 7 kings
Actions speak, never said a thing
That's asleep, never met a bed
Better yet, I never slept, I never met a Fred
But it's nightmares where I came from
And my dream is just to bring 'em where it ain't nothin'
My mind is my stylist
One day here is like five times they college
It's high time they acknowledge
That my kind and they logic is like '99 Impalas
[Hook: Dee-1]
Our father, who art in heaven
Hallowed be thy name
Thy kingdom come
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive those who trespass against us
What you tell 'em now?
Against us, against us
Man tryna go
Against us, against us
They don't wanna know
Against us, against us
They don't wanna know
Against us, against us
Who's against us?
References[]
- ↑ "Dee-1 'Against Us (Remix)' feat. Lupe Fiasco & Big K.R.I.T. (WSHH Exclusive - Official Music Video)". YouTube. May 5, 2016.
- ↑ Platon, Adelle (May 3, 2016). "Watch Dee-1, Lupe Fiasco & Big K.R.I.T. Squad Up in the 'Against Us' Remix Video: Premiere". Billboard.
- ↑ "Dee-1 Brings Along Lupe Fiasco & Big K.R.I.T. for Hard Hitting 'Against Us' Remix". Okayplayer. April 7, 2016.
- ↑ Lilah, Rose (July 7, 2016). "Slingshot David". HotNewHipHop.
- ↑ Jones, Danitha (May 4, 2016). "Stashed Chats: Dee-1 on Being Tested by Lupe Fiasco, Industry Politics, and New Orleans". STASHED. Archived from the original on May 5, 2016.
- ↑ "Dee-1 Addresses Criticism on Working with Secular Artists". YouTube. May 13, 2016.